Paris synagogue ransacked as riots erupt across France

A synagogue in Paris was ransacked as violence erupted across France.

The Ohalei Yaakov shul in Paris’ 19th arrondissement was broken into on Saturday night.

Prayer books, tefillin and other objects were taken out of drawers and cupboards and scattered on the floor.

The Rabbi’s office was also raided.

The Torah scrolls, however, appear to have been unharmed.

Sacha Roytman, chief executive of the Combat Antisemitism Movement, said in a statement: “When chaos and violence take over the streets, synagogues are the first to suffer. The desecration of the synagogue in Paris is a clear warning sign: What begins against Jews never stops there.”

Video footage shows the aftermath of the break-in at the Ohalei Yaakov shul in Paris (Photo-Combat Antisemitism Movement)[Missing Credit]

One member of the congregation told news website IsraJ: “It can’t be a coincidence that they chose to target a Jewish place of worship.

“They must have thought that since they are Jewish, there must be money there.”

The shul was ransacked (Combat Antisemitism Movement)[Missing Credit]

Riots broke out across France over the weekend after student protests several weeks ago grew into wider demonstrations about rising prices .

Palestinian flags were seen at some protests.

There were allegations that Jewish-owned businesses were being targeted, prompting Jewish leaders in the country to demand emergency measures from the government.

In Marseille, several businesses, including Jewish-owned establishments, were reportedly looted or set ablaze.

French journalist Paul Amar appeared on television where he alleged that rioters had specifically targeted Jewish businesses while sparing Muslim-owned shops.

According to him, the rioters arrived with a list of addresses of targets for arson.

However, the Jewish Community Protection Service, known as SPCJ, said there was no evidence of selective targeting and urged caution against unverified claims.

The incidents unfolded amid widespread unrest allegedly over the cost of living, education conditions and proposed government spending cuts.

Demonstrations drew an estimated 550,000 to 800,000 people, with violence reported in cities from Lille in the north to Marseille in the south. Thousands of people were arrested as rioters looted shops, set fires and clashed with police, while public buildings were damaged and hundreds of people injured.

The unrest has intensified anxiety within France’s Jewish community, which has faced a sustained increase in antisemitic incidents in recent years. 

Bruno Benjamin, president of the Marseille-Provence branch of CRIF, an umbrella organisation representing French Jewish institutions, called for a state of emergency, military deployment, and a significant increase in police presence.

According to France’s Interior Ministry, approximately 1,320 antisemitic incidents were recorded in 2025, more than three times the number reported in 2022. Antisemitic acts accounted for roughly 53 per cent of recorded anti-religious offences, despite Jewish people representing less than 1 per cent of France’s population.

France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish population, estimated at around 440,000 to 500,000 people.